1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to manicuring devices and more particularly to an electric motor driven manicuring device for automatically trimming fingernails to any predetermined desired length while, at the same time, avoiding any possibility of abrading the fingertip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Automatic nail files and electric manicuring machines of various types have been suggested by the prior art. However, it does not appear that an electric manicuring device providing safe, effective nail trimming, simplicity of use and operation, economy of manufacture and widespread consumer acceptance has been achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,915,305 to Gallagher discloses a manicuring device suitable for asembly on a dentist's handpiece or drill chuck and comprising a grinding disc located within a guard having several openings for the insertion of fingernails. U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,556 to Watkins states that there are a number of disadvantages associated with the Gallagher device since the unyielding grinding disc tends to blunt manicured fingernails. The patentee Watkins proposes to overcome this by providing flexible nail filing means such as textured endless belts rotating within a housing into which fingernails may be inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,667 to Burecklin discloses an electrically driven fingernail trimmer utilizing a rotating emery wheel upon a boss mounted on the driving motor housing with the boss extending sidewardly arcuately downwardly and inwardly to the housing so as to permit a finger to be placed flat on the housing top leaving the fingernail exposed on the boss top for trimming while the fingertip flesh is brought to bear protectedly against the boss side surface. U.S. Pat. No. 2,210,267 to Smith discloses a mechanically complex, electrically operated fingernail trimming machine utilizing a cutter guide and a plurality of rotatable cutters which trim a fingernail in accordance with a predetermined shape selected prior to actual operation of the cutting mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,923,303 to Hundt discloses a powered fingernail file in which a plate-like guide overlies a rotating abrasive wheel. The guide has a concave surface at its end and is resiliently slidable relative to the wheel and is provided with means to dampen its resilient motion. The patentee states that the spring mounted finger guide facilitates controlled filing and protects fingers from damage. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,117 to Thompson it is stated that various prior art expedients in the form of guards and finger rests to keep the finger from moving out of a desired relative position with a driven abrasive disc unduly limits access to the abrasive area and interferes with full usability of the abrasive action on the fingernail. The patentee suggests a device having a rotatable head with an abrasive end face and an axial bore in which is slidably mounted a plunger extending from the end face and retractable axially inward from an outer limit position. Resilient means urge the plunger towards its outer limit position while the plunger may be depressed to an inner limit position which provides a minimum safe spacing of the finger placed thereon to avoid abrasive action on the flesh of the finger when manicuring the fingernail by the abrasive action of the end face.
Thus, the prior art exhibits many and varied attempts at providing an electrically powered device for filing fingernails. However, these various prior art devices are primarily specific as to one type of use and limited to overcoming a particular disadvantage so that other drawbacks nevertheless remain. Moreover, there has not been a commercial acceptance of such devices equivalent to that which one would expect of a labor saving electrically powered machine. Accordingly, the need for an automatic fingernail trimming device which is economical to manufacture, simple to use and possesses a potential for consumer acceptance exists.